The Prince & Me

Missing Conner

That very same day, all the way on the other side of the sea, a group of teenagers and young adults frolicked on the sunny shores of Happy Harbor, California, a section of land belonging to the United States of America.  Some of them were even floating around in the air, while others were running at the speed of light.  You see, these people were not your average, everyday folks.  They had powers beyond those of one's imagination, powers that allowed them to fly at great speeds, to see things different ways, to defy the laws of physics and mathematics.

Mal Duncan and his fiancee, Karen Beecher, were engaged in a fierce game against Cassie Sandsmark and her boyfriend, Tim Drake. Tim's adoptive brother, Dick Grayson, was completely focused on making the greatest barbecue spread ever for his friends, his girlfriend Barbara Gordon standing right next to him, resting her head on her shoulder. Virgil Hawkins was wrestling in the water with his old friends, Tye Longshadow, Asami Koizumi and Eduardo Dorado Junior, who had finally decided to join him in the fight against evil. Garfield Logan was tossing a frisbee around with best buds Bart Allen and Jaime Reyes.

La'gaan, the only one without someone to hang with, walked over to where Dick was grilling the barbecue. "Are they ready yet? I'm famished." "Than do us all a favor and starve to death." He whipped his head towards Beast Boy, who was smirking at him while Bart and Jaime yelled out, "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHH!" "Shuddup, green bean!", La'gaan said. "I'm your sister's boyfriend, and as such, I think I have a right to demand respect from you!" Garfield frowned. "If I recall, she broke up with you!" "We did not break up! We're just hiatus for the moment!" Bart quirked an eyebrow. "Really? A year is a really long time to be on hiatus."

Jaime looked around.  "Say, where is Miss M anyway?"  Gar's eyes widened.  He looked down and shuffled his feet.  "Oh, well...she's right over there."  The boys looked to where he was pointing to see M'gann M'orzz, in her red and blue bikini, sitting on the shoreline, legs hugged to her chest, the waves lapping over her toes.  She stared out onto the vast waters, reaching out over the horizon, rocking back and forth.  Dick sighed as he put his spatula down.  "Leave this to me."

He walked over and sat down right next to M'gann.  "You okay?"  She chewed on her lower lip to keep it from trembling.  "I miss him."  He didn't need to ask who she was talking about.  "I know.  I do, too."  She shook her head, trying to hold back tears.  "Its all my fault.  I drove him away.  I took him for granted, and now..."  She choked back a sob.  "And now he's gone forever."  Dick rubbed her back as she tried to hold in her sobs.

"No, no, no...don't cry.", he whispered.  "It wasn't all your fault.  I didn't spend enough time with him, make sure he knew he was wanted and needed.  None of us did.  You're not the only one to blame."  M'gann wiped the tears that had just begun to leak from her eyes.  "Dick?  Have you ever wished you could turn back time?  Made a mistake, and then wanted more than anything to go back and do things right?"

Richard shook his head sadly.  "More times than I care to admit.", he said.  "But we can't.  We're stuck in the present. Nothing to do but live with our mistakes and learn from them." M'gann hung her head low. "I'm never gonna see Conner again. None of us are. If only I'd realized just how much he meant to me...before I lost him. The single most important person in my whole entire life...and he's gone forever."

Richard patted her on the back. "Food's on the table in a few minutes. I'll save you a burger." He got to his feet and jogged back to the barbecue grill, leaving M'gann alone with her thoughts once again.  She couldn't help but picture Conner's smiling face in her mind's eye.  She desperately wanted to know how he was doing right now without her and the others.  Did he find a new family and friends?  Did he have food and a warm bed?  Was he happy?

She so hoped he was happy, wherever he was, even if it wasn't with her and the Team.  She only wished that he had found the better life he had left in search for, and with it, people who would love him just as much, if not possibly more, than she did.